Andrew Rossig, 33, said the jump was ‘very exhilarating’, adding the group chose a time when the streets below the lower Manhattan site were largely deserted.

‘It’s a fair amount of free-fall time,’ he said. ‘You really get to enjoy the view of the city and see it from a different perspective.’

Rossig is accused of parachuting off the tallest skyscraper in the US with James Brady, 32, and skydiving instructor Marko Markovich, 27.

Kyle Hartwell is suspected of being their accomplice on the ground.

The One World Trade Center in New York (Picture: AP/Mark Lennihan)

Police Commissioner William Bratton said the group face a number of charges, including burglary and reckless endangerment.

‘These men violated the law and placed themselves, as well as others, in danger,’ he said.

‘These arrests should send a message to anyone thinking about misusing a landmark this way. They will be tracked down and they will face serious charges. Being a thrill-seeker does not give immunity from the law.’